"Cheer up, Amelia," Hannah said, putting her arm around Amelia's shoulders. "I'm sure Kristy won't let your birthday pass without acknowledging it in some way."
Amelia smiled weakly. "Maybe, but it's not the same without her."
Charlie didn't want to hear Amelia's thoughts, but suddenly she was bombarded with them. Not just from Amelia but everyone's in the room, though Amelia's were the most prominent in Charlie's mind. Charlie could see how close Amelia was with her older sister and how much Amelia still depended on her. The other thoughts were along the lines of dinner, a few thoughts on Kristin, and even a few about what else to expect from the party.
"So, what's this Café on the Ridge?" Ralph asked, clearly interrupting whatever discussion they were getting on.
"Only my favorite place to eat," Amelia stated, rather defensively Charlie thought. It also surprised her that there were things about Amelia that the others didn't know, especially since there was almost everything about her new friends that she herself didn't know.
"Where is it?" Tim asked.
"Over in Wheat Ridge, not quite in Denver," Amelia replied.
"That's a bit of a distance," Wes whistled.
"It is, but Amelia and I haven't had anything better," Hannah declared. "It's not as fancy as Olive Garden or Golden Corral, but we both agree that we'd rather be there than any other place."
"So, what are the seating arrangements going to be?" Charlie asked, hoping that she wouldn't get sandwiched in the middle of anyone.
"We'll figure it out when Hank arrives," Amelia's mother replied, already heading back towards the stairs.
Everyone started to follow her, though Charlie excused herself to go the bathroom again. Mostly to collect her thoughts and calm her mind than to actually go.
After she was done, Charlie went upstairs to wait with everyone else. Amelia's father was waiting for them, reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, in the same place Charlie remembered seeing Amelia's mother earlier.
Charlie found the others in the living room, Amelia helping her younger brother and sister with a simple game of chutes and ladders. Theresa and Derek were twins and Charlie estimated they were around six or seven. Amelia was helping Derek while Hannah was helping Theresa.
By 'helping,' Charlie could see that they were trying to rig the game so one of them would win sooner rather than later. Charlie couldn't fault them for their efforts, but wondered if it would help the twins later in their lives.
Once the game was done, everyone was packed into the SUV and the car that Charlie remembered arriving in. The twins were situated in the car while Charlie was put in the SUV her friends.
Charlie started to feel like she was becoming an observer of herself and her friends, almost like it was someone else controlling her body. Maybe it was because she was tired, though she wasn't sure why that would be. However, it did feel like she was going on auto-pilot, for lack of a better term, of herself.
The trip to the café was mostly uneventful and Charlie found she enjoyed herself more than she had expected. The radio also was on, which played a few songs that Amelia and her father sang to.
At the café, they occupied two booths. Amelia's mother and father were in one booth with the twins while Charlie was with her friends in another. Sometimes they'd use magic to talk with each other, but mostly they didn't, given they agreed that it would look weird if they were quiet or if someone responded to something verbally when they couldn't get their magic to work correctly to talk with it.
However, while Charlie never felt like she wasn't being included, she found herself talking less and less. Not that she really was much of a talker to begin with, but as the night went on, even after most of them were done with their meal, she didn't feel like she had much to contribute in the way of conversation. She didn't even talk much about the chicken fried steak she'd gotten. Part of her wondered if anyone else had noticed that she wasn't talking as much or if they didn't think about her that much.
_
Charlie sat down at the dining room table when they got back to Amelia's and waited patiently with everyone else for Amelia's mother to get the birthday cake lit up with candles. Everyone was hushed, even Amelia's twin siblings.
The trip to the diner took longer than Charlie had expected, both the trip to and from the diner as well as how long it took them to eat. She couldn't help but wonder what activities that Amelia had wanted them to engage in, had to be discarded as options given how late it had gotten.
Then when Charlie was starting to think about getting some water, the lights went out and the room got mostly dark, with only the lit candles of the cake providing light.
They sang the birthday song, but after they were done with it, Charlie was expecting the candles to be blown out, lights turned back on, and the cake starting to get distributed. Instead, everyone else started singing more to Amelia with the same tune:
"Have a Birthday that's swell, Have a Birthday that's great. Now blow out the candles, but don't spit on the cake."
Once they finished that bit, Amelia blew out the candles, though she was only about to get all but one candle with one breath. After which, all that Charlie had expected to happen did happen. Charlie wasn't surprised that Amelia got the largest piece but was surprised when Amelia directed who got which piece and when. She wasn't sure what to make of it, just assumed that maybe it was a birthday tradition for Amelia's family.
Charlie started to try to pick up on the thoughts of Amelia's mother, but wasn't able to hear anything. When she tried Amelia, however, all she was able to pick up on was what that extra verse in the birthday song was about.
The reason for the extra verse was that Amelia's grandmother once had it on a birthday card and the entire family loved it so much that it became a tradition to sing after the main part of the song was done. Which had continued on with Amelia.
The rest of what she could catch sounded full of static. Which made her wonder a little on how much of her magic hearing the thoughts of others was being used. The only other thing that she could sense was a strong desire for Charlie to feel included and part of the group. It made her feel like her worries were unfounded that she wasn't really going to be able to be part of the group. The knowledge of that sent emotions sweeping through her with ease. Though, she did have to struggle to keep her feelings from showing, especially with how she wasn't sure if her eyes were tearing up. She definitely did not want to have to explain how she was looking at their thoughts at any point. Charlie would not expect that to be taken very well. Nor did she want to explain any sudden display of emotion, which she never did anyway.
Charlie took her time eating her cake, and enjoyed when presents started to be presented to Amelia to open. Each were well received, though Charlie didn't know what each meant to Amelia. Hannah had given Amelia a pair of earrings. Tim, Wes, and Ralph had given her a human biology textbook. Beth had given a matching shirt and skirt marbled with pink and white, which seemed like any ordinary outfit and so couldn't understand why Amelia loved it so much. Theresa and Derek had given Amelia a homemade card and picture they'd drawn. Amelia's parents gave her a medical textbook with a small CPR booklet. Lastly, Amelia opened a card that was from Amelia's older sister, Kristin.
As Amelia read the card, she couldn't help but to start to cry. Charlie was stunned. Even though she could tell just how close Amelia was to her older sister from earlier, she didn't expect Amelia to have such a strong reaction to a birthday card from her.
Maybe it was what was written on the card, Charlie mused, itching to reach into Amelia's mind to see what the card said, but held back, partly out of respect for Amelia and partly from feeling too tired at the moment.
Amelia closed the card before even Hannah had a chance to look at it, who was sitting right next to her, but Amelia did pull Hannah into a tight hug before they were thanked for making it such a great day for her. Charlie was ready to just call it a day personally but felt that she should at least not try to see if she could leave so she could let Amelia feel the comfort of her friends presence as long as she wanted to. After all, she didn't have much experience with these parties, so she wasn't sure about the etiquette of knowing when the party was over.
Not that doing so kept her from starting to nod off. As Charlie finished the last bite of her cake, she felt her eyes telling her that they were done for the day. She let them close, then rested her head on the corner of the table and let her breathing slow.
She was almost asleep when Amelia's mother made a loud noise that startled her awake, getting her to sit upright, looking around for the noise, which turned out to be a wooden cutting board that Amelia's mother had slapped on the table.
"Well, it seems like it's time for us to start sending your friends home, Amelia," she said to Amelia. "They seem to be ready to fall asleep where they are, so you should say good-bye and I'll give them a ride home."
Charlie's mind felt like a fog as they said their good-byes and made their way out to the car that they'd been picked up in that morning. Since Amelia wasn't with them this time, Tim took shotgun while everyone else filled in the back of the sedan. While it felt a little tight, it wasn't as bad as it would have been with Tim back there and Charlie was happy for it.
Beth let Charlie take the window seat and let herself get a little squished by being next to Ralph on the other side of her. Charlie was able to manage to use her magic enough to thank Beth, which Beth used her magic for her reply.
While they sat in the car on the trip, Charlie let her mind wander to what they'd done the entire day. While there was more than Charlie had expected at a birthday party, especially since Cherie never had anything that elaborate that Charlie had seen, she did have to admit that she had fun. Even when she was falling hopelessly behind in Minecraft, she didn't feel like she wasn't able to do anything. It was more clear that she just didn't know what she needed to do in the game to move as quickly as the others.
When they arrived by Charlie's house, Charlie got out of the car and made her way to the house. She wasn't surprised to find the front door open even though the door was usually closed at this time. It was her family's way of leaving the porch light on without turning it on. Though in winter they did use the porch light. So, she closed the door as she entered, unconcerned at that fact, but turned the porch light on anyway with how Charlie never really liked leaving the front door open like that, as expected her father and sister were still out, based on them having mentioned they had plans for that day earlier in the week.
She made her way to the kitchen and saw her mother sitting at the dining room table. Charlie couldn't hear her father or Cherie, which told her that they were, in fact, still out.
Charlie walked over to the sink to get a glass of water and as she turned the faucet on, her mother turned in her chair to face Charlie.
"How was your day, Charlie?" her mother asked her, fiddling with something in her hands.
"It was fun," Charlie admitted. "Just not sure how long I'll be part of their group."
"What's wrong with their group?" her mother asked, motioning for Charlie to sit in the chair next to her.
"Nothing's wrong with their group," Charlie said, as she set the glass next to the sink and walked over to her mother and sat in the indicated chair. "It's just that I'm not really sure I belong with their group."
"Oh, dear, you just need time to find your place in their group," Charlie's mother said, putting her hand on Charlie's hand, giving it a squeeze of reassurance before releasing it. "You haven't had friends before, so of course you're going to feel awkward around them."
Charlie sighed, not sure if she really accepted her mother's reassurances. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw what her mother was fidgeting with when she'd gotten home. It was the necklace she'd gotten anonymously. "Where'd you find that?" Charlie asked, not sure if it was the same or not.
"Oh, I saw this on your desk when I dropped off your laundry today. I just wanted to ask where you got it," her mother replied, sounding kind, but her words telling Charlie that she might be in trouble depending on how she answered the question.
Charlie explained how she got the necklace, how Beth helped her deal with the whole situation, and how Beth saved it from being confiscated when the package it was in was opened by a teacher.
"So, you don't know who gave it to you?" her mother asked.
Charlie shook her head. "No, I'm not even sure I should wear it, especially with what Mrs. Carlson said when she finally gave it back," she replied, unable to look at her mother as she said this.
"Well, maybe I'll need to have a talk with your principal about that," Charlie's mother mused. "Now if you wear that necklace that will be up to you, but if you do and get in trouble and lose the necklace just by wearing it, give me a call and I'll see what I can do. Hopefully nothing will happen, but we should still be prepared if something does happen, should you decide to wear it."
"Thanks, mom," Charlie replied quietly, still not able to look at her mother.
Charlie's mother reached over, took Charlie's chin with her fingers, and turned Charlie's head so she had to look at her mother.
"Remember, this is a choice you have to make and whatever you choose will be up to you. Your father and I will support you in whatever way we can and that you need. However, the choice you make will still have consequences that will affect not only you but whoever left you that necklace. Keep that in mind as you think about it. You may not even realize just how pivotal your decision could be until years down the road," Charlie's mother told her, her eyes holding Charlie's but still full of love that Charlie couldn't help but pull her mother into a hug after her mother was done talking.
Though, Charlie wasn't sure exactly what her mother meant but didn't doubt that her mother knew what she was talking about, probably. She assumed it was just likely one of those things that she wouldn't understand until she was older. Kind of like understanding why naps were important. She wouldn't mind if they had a period in the school day that allowed her to take a naps now, though she could remember when she didn't want to take naps. She had things she'd rather do back then than to take a nap. Now she could only recall those days wistfully.
As Charlie released her mother from the hug, she took the necklace. "Thanks, mom," she said as she got up from the table.
"Your very welcome, dear," came the reply.
Charlie made her way up to her room, wondering what she should do with the necklace. If she decided not to wear it, should she ask Beth to find whoever left it in her locker and return it? It wasn't a bad idea, but Charlie wasn't sure if she should do that. Maybe I should table the thought and return to it in a week or two, Charlie told herself.
As Charlie entered her room, she noticed the crystal on her desk, almost as if it was pulling her attention to it.
Charlie walked over to her desk, opened a drawer and put the necklace in it before closing the drawer and turning her attention to the crystal.
"So, what is it you want me for?" Charlie asked the crystal softly, not trying for her magic at the moment.
–Your magic feels like its rather drained. Were you practicing with it?– the crystal asked.
"Yeah, I was using my magic to communicate with my friends while we were hanging out today," Charlie replied.
–What were you using your magic for when you were practicing?– the crystal asked, not appearing concerned with what Charlie was doing with her new friends.
"We were using it to talk with each other," Charlie replied, not sure if that mattered or not.
–Was there anything else that you did with your friends while you were practicing your magic?– the crystal asked, it tone making Charlie wonder if there were things she shouldn't try using her magic for. At least right now.
"No, we were just using it to talk with each other," Charlie replied.
–If that was the case, you wouldn't be so drained. I can tell that your connection with your magic is rather weak. Which means you used your magic to the point that you wore yourself out. If you continued you likely would have passed out from the exertion. At the very least.– the crystal stated.
"Well, I did see what the others were thinking of me, but I thought that was something that would occur on its own, regardless of if I wanted to or not," Charlie said, sitting down at her desk while picking up the crystal and holding it up level with her eyes, about a foot away from her face.
–You were using your magic without thinking when you actively sought out the thoughts of others. You used a lot more of your magic than you realized. Talking with magic doesn't require much magic, but using rare talents like yours actively uses a lot more. When it occurs without you trying, it won't use as much of your magic, but you won't have any control over it. The positive for you is that you're building up your strength with your magic quickly. The downside, however, is that you are wearing yourself out quickly as well. You'll likely need to slow down trying to actively use your talent if you don't want to fall asleep at inconvenient times.– the crystal informed Charlie.
"How long do you think it'll be before I can do this without being in danger of falling asleep because of that?" Charlie asked, standing up from the desk and walking over to her bed.
–I can't honestly say. It could be quickly, but it could also be that your magical stamina will always be low. While it's rare for someone with as strong of a connection with their magic as you have to have very little magical stamina, it does happen. We can only ever tell after. Like knowing what your magic feels like, you only will know after you touch it for the first time.– The crystal replied.
"Okay," Charlie sighed, starting to feel like she was going to just fall asleep where she was.
Charlie set the crystal on her bed as she changed into her nightgown, leaving her clothing on the floor, not caring if it looked bad rather than putting it in her hamnper like she usually did. Then she picked the crystal up as she slid under her covers. Then before she knew anything else, she was asleep. She didn't even know when her head touched her pillow.
As Charlie slept, her dreams were filled with possibilities and wonders she'd never imagined before but couldn't remember any of it when she woke up in the morning. Just a vague feeling of what her dreams were about.